The History of the Church is a vital part of the Orthodox Christian faith. Orthodox Christians are defined significantly by their continuity with all those who have gone before, those who first received and preached the truth of Jesus Christ to the world, those who helped to formulate the expression and worship of our faith, and those who continue to move forward in the unchanging yet ever-dynamic Holy Tradition of the Orthodox Church.

Contents

Post-Communist era (1991-Present)

1991 Soviet Union collapses, ending Cold War; representatives of Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches meet in Chambesy, Switzerland, discussing relations with World Council of Churches; Ruthenian Byzantine rite Catholic Church in Transcarpathia was restored as a separate entity from Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church based in Galicia, having about 23% of Transcarpathia's parishes compared to 60% of the Orthodox total there; Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Italy and Exarchate of Southern Europe is created; death of Episcopal priest Robert Elwin Terwilliger, especially known for his efforts to reunite Anglican and Orthodox Christians, having served on the Episcopal Church's Council on Eastern Churches (1969-91), and the International Anglican Theological Commission for Joint Doctrinal Discussion with the Orthodox Churches (1971-91).

1999 Numerous Serbian Orthodox sites in Kosovo and Metohia destroyed and desecrated during NATO peacekeeping presence; Lutheran World Federation and Roman Catholic Church sign Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification, one of the most significant agreements since the Reformation, also adopted unanimously later in 2006 by members of the World Methodist Council.

2001 Pope John Paul II of Rome apologizes to Orthodox Church for Fourth Crusade; Chalcedonian and Non-Chalcedonian Patriarchates of Alexandria agree to mutually recognize baptisms and marriages performed in each other's churches; according to the respected and reliable OUP World Christian Encyclopedia (2001), there were many more Christian martyrs in the 20th century--over 45 million--than in all of the preceding 19 centuries of Christianity, and of that number some 32 million were killed by "atheists" and over 9 million by Muslims.[1]

2009 Metr. Valentin of Orenburg and Buzuluk consecrated the first-ever Russian Orthodox temple in Rome on May 24, the day of St. Cyril and Methodius, being the Church of the Great Martyr St. Catherine, with the blessing of Patr. Kirill; the 4th Pan-Orthodox pre-conciliar consultation was held in Chambésy on June 6-13, mandating "Episcopal Assemblies" for various regions of the world, including North America;[2] On April 30 the House of Assembly of the Parliament of South Australia passed a motion recognising "the genocide by the Ottoman state between 1915-1923 of Armenians, Hellenes, Syrian and other minorities in Asia Minor";[3] Metr. Jonah (Paffhausen) addresses inaugural assembly of Anglican Church in North America (ACNA); agreement was announced between St. Vladimir's Seminary and Nashotah House; the Vatican announced a newly created "Apostolic Constitution", calling for the creation of new church structures, called Personal Ordinariates, to operate under local Roman Catholic dioceses and be administered by former Anglican clergy, clearing the way for entire congregations of Anglican faithful to join the Roman Catholic Church, while preserving elements of the distinctive Anglican spiritual and liturgical patrimony;” Orthodox-Roman Catholic Joint Commission meets in Paphos, Cyprus, 11th plenary, studying the theme "The Role of the Bishop of Rome in the Communion of the Church in the First Millennium;" pilgrimmage to Mount Athos of the former Prime Minister of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych, current leader of the opposition in parliament; Bulgaria’s Parliament approved changes to the Family Code opening the way for fast-track divorces; in February, the Israeli government transferred to Russia Sergei's Courtyard, which had originally been a part of the Russian compound.

2011 Another assassination attempt on the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I was prevented by Turkish police;[5][note 2] glorification of Righteous Irodion of Lainici (+1900), former Abbott of Lainici Monastery in Romania;[6] canonization of 1241 New Martyrs of Naoussa, Greece, massacred by the Ottoman Turks from Thursday of Bright Week to the Sunday of Thomas in 1822.[7][8]

2012 Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I gave a landmark address at the Turkish Parliament’s Constitution Conciliation Commission, tasked with drafting a new constitution for Turkey, presenting an 18-page report demanding equal treatment and rights for Turkey’s non-muslim communities, including state-aid for churches and minority schools;[9][note 3] Bp. Makarios (Tillyrides) of Kenya officiates at the wedding of the Kenyan Prime Minister's son, Fidel Odinga, who was baptized Makarios in June, together with 22 other people.[10]

Notes

↑ In announcing this exciting development, His Eminence Metropolitan Athenagoras (Aneste) of Mexico expressed his great pleasure in welcoming the OCCG which was received in its entirety, including their former clergy, seminarians, lay ministers, catechists and affiliated membership into the canonical family of the Orthodox Church. Following their official reception, the leaders of OCCG, Messrs. Andrew Girón and Michael Castellanos traveled to Mexico City where on the weekend of March 19-21, they were ordained to the Holy Priesthood, receiving the title of Archimandrite. The OCCG has an approximate membership of 527,000 faithful and catechumens, overwhelmingly indigenous, with 334 churches in Guatemala and southern Mexico, with 12 (formerly OCCG) clergymen and 14 seminarians, who are assisted in their pastoral ministry by 250 lay ministers and 380 catechists.

↑ "Hudson Institute fellow Lela Gilbert reports: "In recent weeks, a series of abuses against Christians has swept across the Muslim world. There has been a murder in Pakistan, attacks on churches in Ethiopia, an attempted assassination of the Ecumenical Patriarch in Turkey and repeated pogroms against the Copts in Egypt. Now, rights groups are reporting new developments in Iran's anti-Christian crackdown, which has swept up nearly 300 Christian believers since June 2010." (Jennifer Rubin. Morning Bits. The Washington Post (Opinions). 7:45 AM ET, 03/13/2011)

↑ The subcommittee also heard the demands of Turkey’s Assyrian Christian community, represented by Kuryakos Ergün, the head of the Syriac Mor Gabriel Monastery Foundation.

Addresses the question of the compatibility between Eastern Orthodox Christianity and modern understandings of democracy. Cites a recent debate between two contemporary Orthodox ethicists, Stanley Harakas and Vigen Guroian, over the proper role of the Orthodox Church in relation to the American democratic state. Argues that there does not exist a "clash of civilizations" between Orthodoxy and democracy.